Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida is one of three theme parks at the Universal Orlando Resort. It is the first park to be built at the resort, and features various rides, shows, and entertainment based on numerous properties in pop culture. Although the park is owned and operated by Universal Parks and Resorts, many of the properties featured in the attractions come from other companies, usually rival film studios. History Universal Studios Florida is the original park that was built before the area was expanded with two other parks, a shopping venue, and multiple hotels to become a resort. The park opened on June 7, 1990, and originally intended to be a replica of Universal Studios Hollywood. However, it was decided during development that instead of including a studio tour like the Hollywood park that USF would instead feature individual rides based on the numerous events seen in USH's Studio Tour. Examples included the Jaws ride, based on Steven Spielberg's 1975 film of the same name. To this day, similar ideas have been incorporated into newer attractions built at both parks. Over the years, different rides and intellectual properties have come and gone, but the overall theme of film and television remains in the park. Park Layout The entrance to Universal Studios Florida is marked by a tall gateway with the park's logo, as well as a large model of Universal's globe logo nearby. Guests approach the park by crossing a bridge that connects the park to Universal CityWalk, which features flags that display the various characters represented in the park. Various music, usually with a theme of adventure can be heard here, including the main themes from Back to the Future and E.T. The Extra Terrestrial. Once guests enter the park, they reach a two-way road. Continuing straight leads them into Production Central, while turning to the right leads them into Hollywood. Production Central Production Central is an area intended to resemble a film set. As such, many of the ride buildings appear as if they are studio buildings for filmmaking. Attractions * Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem - 3D simulator ride based on the Despicable Me film series by Universal's animation subsidiary, Illumination Entertainment. * Shrek 4-D - 3D show with special effects based on the Shrek films by DreamWorks Animation, set between the events of Shrek and Shrek 2. * Donkey's Photo Finish - Near Shrek 4-D, a meet-and-greet area in which guests can meet Shrek, Princess Fiona, and Puss in Boots (despite not appearing in the first film), as well as an animatronic Donkey that interacts with the guests. * Hollywood Rip Ride Rock-It - Music-themed roller coaster in which riders can choose their own song to play while riding. Videos of the rider's reaction along with the music track they chose are available for purchase. * Transformers: The Ride - Dark thrill ride based on the Transformers film series created by Paramount Pictures, which in turn is based on the action figures by Hasbro. Former Attractions * The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera - Motion simulator themed to the cartoon characters of Hanna-Barbera. The ride focuses on riders joining Yogi Bear and Boo-Boo as they travel through various worlds to save Elroy Jetson from Dick Dastardly. Other characters such as Fred Flintstone and Scooby-Doo make guest appearances throughout the ride. Closed in 2002 to make way for Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast. However, Scooby-Doo continues to make meet-and-greet appearances at the park. * Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast - Motion simulator starring Jimmy Neutron as he races through the worlds of multiple Nickelodeon shows to stop the alien Ooblar, who has stolen a new rocket model Jimmy is working on. Guest appearances included SpongeBob SquarePants and Cosmo and Wanda of The Fairly OddParents. Closed in 2011 to make way for Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem. However, SpongeBob SquarePants continues to make meet-and-greet appearances at the park. * Alfred Hitchcock: The Art of Making Movies ''- 3D show that served as a tribute and behind-the-scenes look of the late, frequent Universal collaborator Alfred Hitchcock. A variety of his films such as The Birds, Psycho, and Dial M for Murder were featured in the show. Closed in 2003 to make way for Shrek 4-D. '''Hollywood A recreation of the area of the same name in Los Angeles, California, complete with a Walk of Fame and palm trees. This area is prominent for meet-and-greets with characters whose rides are seen throughout the park. Attractions * '''''Universal's Horror Make-Up Show - Stage performance with live actors showing a behind-the-scenes look at how horror films achieve their special effects. * Universal's Superstar Parade - Daily parade featuring characters from SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, Despicable Me, and The Secret Life of Pets. The individual franchises occasionally have mini-shows and meet-and-greets. Former Attractions * Terminator 2 3D: Battle Across Time - Hybrid show with 3D effects and live-actors, based on the Terminator film franchise. Closed in 2017 to make way for a yet to be announced attraction scheduled for 2019 or 2020. A port of the ride continues to operate at Universal Studios Japan. * Lucy, A Tribute - Walkthrough exhibit based on Lucille Ball and the sitcom she starred in, I Love Lucy. Closed in 2015 to make way for a Hello Kitty-themed gift shop that opened the following year. New York Based on the City That Never Sleeps, this area features tall buildings with 19th-century architecture. The area also features an arcade and its own installments of Starbucks and Ben and Jerry's. Attractions * Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon - 3D simulator ride based on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, featuring various members of the show. The ride is housed in a replica of 30 Rockefeller Plaza, which features the studio where the show is filmed at. * Revenge of the Mummy - Dark ride/roller coaster hybrid based on the 1999 reboot of The Mummy ''franchise. Riders are initially on a tour behind the scenes of an upcoming fake sequel to ''The Mummy Returns, but it turns out the curse of Imhotep really does exist. * The Blues Brothers Show - Live show performance based on the 1980 film The Blues Brothers. Former Attractions: * Ghostbusters Spooktacular ''- Special effects show based on the 1984 film, and hosted by Louis Tully (Rick Moranis' character from the film). The show primarily recreates the final act of the film with the battle against Gozer and the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man, with other characters such as Slimer and Walter Peck making appearances. Closed in 2002 to make way for Twister...Ride it Out. * ''Kongfrontation - Dark thrill ride based on the first remake of King Kong from 1976. Guests boarded a New York City cable car in an attempt to escape from Kong's rampage through the city during the final act of the film. Multiple Kong animatronics, including one that released a banana scent from its mouth, were featured in the ride. Despite being one of the most popular rides at the park at the time, it closed in 2002 to make way for Revenge of the Mummy. No official reason was given for the closure, but many speculate it was due to the unreliability of the Kong animatronics. A golden statue of King Kong can be found in Revenge of the Mummy as a homage to the ride. * Twister...Ride it Out - Special effects show in which guests witness a simulated tornado, and the effects it has on the nearby environment. The attraction building and its Aftermath gift shop were depicted as being heavily damaged, as if hit by a tornado. The stars of the film, Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt, appear in the preshow of the film. Closed in 2015 to make way for Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon. San Francisco A small area based on the California town of the same name. Due to being close to the park's center lagoon, part of this area is themed to Fisherman's Wharf, and features a replica of the sign from the same area. Attractions * Fast and Furious: Supercharged - Based on the long-running film franchise, riders are tasked with helping Dominic Torretto and his team escape from Owen Shaw in a high-speed, action-packed chase. Former Attractions * Jaws - Boat ride with various special effects, based on the 1975 film by Steven Spielberg. The surrounding area of this ride was themed to the Amity Island beach from the film (despite being set in New England and not California), and featured gift shops selling Jaws merchandise. Closed in 2012 to make way for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley. The suspended shark statue formerly located at the entrance of this attraction was relocated and is still on display in the neighboring San Francisco area. A port of this ride at Universal Studios Japan continues operations to this day. * Earthquake: The Big One - Special effects show themed to the 1974 film Earthquake, in which riders experienced the effects of a 8.3 magnitude earthquake, similarly to the tornado simulation in Twister...Ride it Out. Closed in 2007 to make way for Disaster!, though the resulting ride was generally the same. * Disaster! - Also known as Disaster! A Major Motion Picture Ride...Starring You!. The ride was essentially the same as its predecessor, but the storyline was heavily altered, and this time featured guests volunteering as extras for a fictional disaster movie starring Dwayne Johnson. The trailer for the film with the guests' scene was later shown at the end of the ride. Closed in 2015 to make way for Fast and Furious: Supercharged. * Beetlejuice's Rock and Roll Graveyard Revue - Music show based on the 1988 film Beetlejuice, starring the character of the same name and the Universal Monsters. Closed in 2016 to make way for Fast and Furious: Supercharged, though Beetlejuice still makes meet-and-greet appearances in the Hollywood section of the park. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley The second phase of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, based on the small marketplace in which Harry and other wizards can find supplies for their time at Hogwarts. However, the exterior of this area is designed to resemble London, with King's Cross Station being nearby. Diagon Alley is accessed through a doorway that imitates the brick wall that Hagrid opens in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Attractions * Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts - Dark thrill ride set during the events of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2, in which Harry, Ron, and Hermione infiltrate Bellatrix Lestrange's Gringotts vault to find and destroy one of Lord Voldemort's horcruxes. * Hogwarts Express - Train ride with special effects that transports guests between both sections of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, connecting the two main parks of the resort. Guests must have a two-park pass to access this attraction. The entrance at this park is intended to resemble King's Cross Station in London, England. World Expo An area themed to an exposition, heavily implied to be the 1964 New York World's Fair. Attractions * Men in Black: Alien Attack - Interactive dark ride based on the Men in Black films by Columbia Pictures. Riders are recruited by the Men in Black, but are cut short in training when an alien invasion hits New York City. * Fear Factor Live! - A live stage adaption of the NBC TV show. Guests over 18 can fill out waivers to participate in events such as allowing certain creatures to crawl on their head, eating nasty food combinations, and daredevil minigames. Former Attractions * Back to the Future: The Ride - Motion simulator that served as a mini-continuation to the trilogy of the same name. Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) recruits guests at his Institute of Future Technology to test a new DeLorean Time Machine convertible model capable of holding eight passengers. Series antagonist Biff Tannen invades the institute, and steals one of the DeLoreans. Doc enlists the help of the riders to stop Biff and prevent him from messing up the time-space continuum. Closed in 2007 to make way for The Simpsons Ride. The DeLorean Time Machine from the films, as well as Doc Brown's Locomotive from the third film are still on display in the park, and Doc Brown appears in the park as both a meet-and-greet character and as a cameo in the queue preshow of The Simpsons Ride. The main theme of the films can also be heard throughout certain areas of the park. Springfield The hometown of The Simpsons, featuring numerous restaurants and shops from the show, as well two rides, and carnival games. Attractions * The Simpsons Ride - Simulator ride based on the long-running animated show on Fox. Guests join The Simpsons family in escaping the wrath of Sideshow Bob during their trip to KrustyLand, a theme park operated by Krusty the Clown. * Kang and Kodos' Twirl 'N Hurl - Small ride similar to Dumbo the Flying Elephant at rival Disney Parks, based on the alien duo who usually appear during the Treehouse of Horror Halloween specials. * KrustyLand Carnival Games ''- Numerous carnival games surrounding the entrance to The Simpsons Ride. '''Woody Woodpecker's Kidzone Children's area featuring tamer rides and attractions with characters intended for young children. Attractions * 'E.T. Adventure - Dark ride based on E.T. The Extra Terrestrial. Guests are recruited by director Steven Spielberg to help E.T. return to his home planet, which needs his help. This is the only opening day ride that is still operating in the park. * Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster ''- Junior coaster themed to the character of the same name. * ''A Day in the Park with Barney - Live show with pre-recorded dialogue based on the PBS children's show Barney and Friends. Barney is also available for meet-and-greets. * Curious George Goes to Town - Small water playground based on the books by H.A. and Margret Rey. * Fievel's Playland - Playground themed to the 1986 animated film, An American Tail. Fievel is the main protagonist of the film. * Animal Actors on Location - Live show featuring handlers with animals that perform various tricks. Previously known as Animal Planet Live, and Animal Actors Stage. Trivia Category:Universal Studios Florida Category:Theme Parks